


All The Choirs In My Head Said No

by hinotoriii



Series: After Adamant [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 15:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hinotoriii/pseuds/hinotoriii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nightmare Demon still plagues minds, even after those who were exposed to his existence successfully escaped the Fade. After all, who could ever truly forget such a terrifying creature with incredible and horrific power? Dorian surely can't.</p><p>Filled request for <a href="http://mythalsfavour.tumblr.com/post/130017879203/signs-of-affection-romance-prompt-meme">number 17: a frightened kiss</a> in the  signs of affection prompt list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All The Choirs In My Head Said No

“You won’t find him.”

Dorian ignores the taunts which echo in his mind, focusing rather on pushing through the misty green tinted fog of the fade surrounding him. Each movement he makes feels heavy and sluggish, and the ringing of a monstrous sound of laughter from the demon watching him feels like the creature itself is mocking him. 

“At least not in time to save him. Tick tock Dorian, your beloved Inquisitor will face his end soon.”

Dorian swallows down his fear, letting the heavy drum-like beating of his heart guide him rather than blind him from his task. He just needs to move a little faster, reach out a little further…

If only the damned fade itself wasn’t so damned difficult to navigate. He never recalled it being this nightmarishly torturous before. 

“I wonder what will be waiting for you once you reach your goal? A fresh grave? A tombstone ready to be positioned upon a burial site? Perhaps the remains of who you search for, be it how little those remains may be.”

 _Shut up,_  Dorian thinks, gritting his teeth together tightly as he attempts to block out the poisonous images the words bring the forefront of his mind.  _Just shut up._

The green fog before him begins to slowly grow red. Dorian’s eyes widen, and as he starts running further forward the red bleeds over the remainder of the green, taking over all it had previously been stretching out to touch in its wake. For some reason the change unsettles Dorian greatly, causing him to move faster with a desperation even he’s not sure as to why he has, heading towards the point of where the red glowing grows at its brightest …

… Only to uncover the scene of Corypheus with his back towards him, the orb Dorian remembers hearing about illuminated crimson from where it hovers just over the Ancient Magisters claw-like hand.

“Ah, this is even better than I could have envisioned you finding.”

The voice from before speaks, once again laughing. Dorian, with fear grasping its ice cold grasp around his heart, begins to understand why it is the owner of that voice is known as a nightmare demon.

For laying before Corypheus, defeated and slain, lays the bloodied body of what once had been the Herald.

Dorian arrives just in time to notice how the last flicker of light from the anchor embedded in his left hand flickers out feebly like a single old flame upon a candle, snuffing out the last of the power which had been held within the mighty Inquisitor’s palm.

A pained and agonised scream reaches his ears, and it takes a while for Dorian to realise the person who lets out the sound is himself. Even then when he realises, he does not stop. After all, the world’s only hope and his greatest happiness have just cruelly been ripped away, leaving only a growing void of despair.

And as he cries, both Corypheus and the Nightmare Demon laugh wickedly at the helplessness before them.

* * *

Dorian wakes with a start.

He’s sitting up, his breathing ragged and uneven, body covered in sweat. The night sky outside remains dark and cool with the mountain air, signifying the early hours of the morning long before the rising of the sun. It’s only when he realises where he is that Dorian picks up on the odd smell of something burning, and as he looks to his left quickly spots the small yet growing flickering of flames upon the curtains next to the bed.

_“Kaffas!”_

Jumping out of both the sheets and the bed, Dorian quickly tries to think of which spell of his would be best to try and put out the flames. A small ball of wind magic beats him to it, the flames quickly disappearing, and as Dorian turns his head towards the bed he sees that Oscar is awake and sitting up, sheets pooled around his middle.

“Should I even ask why my curtains were on fire?” Oscar asks afterwards, letting his hands fall into his lap as he sends Dorian an amused, although tired smile. “Or were you having some kind of naughty dream where things were starting to _'heat up?'_ ”

Dorian ignores the attempt at humour, hardly even listening to the words as he stares at Oscar; alive and well and content before him. Instead he moves to sit back on the bed, reaching for Oscar as he does and pulling him roughly by his arms into a hard and fierce kiss. Oscar lets out a surprised sound, his eyes growing wide for a second before they close as his lips slide to press better against Dorian’s.

As they kiss Dorian feels Oscar’s arms wrap around him as his hands press against his back. He’s shaking under the touch, relieved to know what he had dreamt was not reality and that this before him now is. That Oscar is okay and unharmed and they’re both out of the fade and Maker, how very thankful Dorian is of all those things.

“Ah,” Oscar begins to say as he pulls his lips away, making eye contact between them both. “Not a naughty dream at all then.” He pauses, brow furrowing in concern as he tilts his head to one side slightly. “Are you alright?”

“Give me a good few moments and hopefully, I should be again.”

A small, apologetic sound leaves Oscar. Dorian feels himself being guided towards him, Oscar’s arms wrapping around him a little more securely within their embrace. Dorian rests his head against Oscar’s chest as if it were a pillow, hearing the rhythm of his heart beating beneath his ribcage. His eyes close at the reassuring sound, and Dorian wraps one arm around Oscar’s back whilst letting the other rest just under his own cheek, feeling Oscar’s heartbeat as well as listening to it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Oscar asks with a murmur, pressing a kiss against Dorian’s hairline as he starts to thread his fingers into the back of Dorian’s hair. His touch is an additional comfort as fingertips massage soothingly within it, and Dorian let’s out a heavy sigh at both the feeling and the weight of the question just asked.

“I’d rather not, at least not right now,” he replies, squeezing the arm he has wrapped around Oscar’s back. Oscar is soft; warm and familiar, and for now his presence is all Dorian needs. “Just knowing you’re here with me is enough.”

“Must have been some dream,” Oscar says, leaning his chin lightly upon Dorian’s head. “You didn’t walk into Solas did you? That can be quite a shock.”

“Only if you’re not prepared in knowing that he’s a dreamer,  _amatus_ ,” Dorian replies, breathing out a small little laugh. “How you didn’t see that coming since the man loves exploring … other places where one can only walk via dreams is quite the mystery.”

The fact he hadn’t mentioned the fade by name does not go missed by either of them. Oscar hums in response before they both fall into silence, his fingertips still massaging lightly within Dorian’s hair. Dorian feels as if he were like some kind of cat, growing more and more relaxed under Oscar’s touch.

“I still have dreams about it too, you know.”

Dorian grows still, yet he doesn’t say anything to stop Oscar. Rather his silence is an invitation for him to continue speaking.

“The fade. All we saw. All the Nightmare showed and tormented us with.” Oscar pauses for a moment. “I think all of us who saw what we did and were exposed to its power do. It wasn’t something anyone could quickly forget, after all. You’re allowed to still be affected by it.”

“If I am affected by what occurred that day, then it’s likely due to more reasons than just one.”

Dorian moves his head, leaning upon Oscar still but letting himself face him better. Oscar’s expression turns sad at what remains hidden behind his words, lips pouting ever so slightly. Dorian huffs out a sigh. 

“Now now, don’t look like that. I stopped being mad at you days ago.”

“I can still be sorry Dorian,” Says Oscar, nose burying further into Dorian’s hair. “I never meant to frighten you. If your dreams are about what I did -”

“They’re not.” Dorian interrupts, wanting to forget the dream he’d woken from. “I promise. It was just … rather overwhelming. As dreams are known to sometimes be.”

“That’s true,” Oscar replies, squeezing his arm around Dorian a little tighter for a second. Dorian both feels as well as hears the heavy and tired breath that leaves Oscar’s lips; how his chest rises briefly before falling once more.

“Come, lay with me for a while longer,” Dorian hears him say softly as Oscar carefully starts moving them both the lay among the pillows again. “There’s still a few more hours yet until sunrise, and we can just rest and talk until we have to wake up properly.”

“You can go back to sleep, you know,” Dorian mumbles against Oscar’s chest. “Maker knows you get little time to yourself as it is, don’t stay awake just for my account.”

“‘Skay. I’m not that tired anyway.”

Regardless of how Oscar’s words are accompanied with a yawn, Dorian can’t help but to smile to himself fondly. Knowing that there’s no point attempting to change his mind now that Oscar wishes to stay awake simply to make sure Dorian isn’t left alone Dorian lets himself relax again within his hold, closing his eyes as he locks the sensation of warm security surrounding him away within his most precious of memories.


End file.
